Reconciliation
by Son of Soul Reaver
Summary: Jack and Miranda attempt to reconcile over a drink at Shepard's party.
1. Chapter 1

**Reconciliation**

Jack sat on the bar stool, glaring at the entitled, rich, Cerberus-cheer-leading bitch. She hadn't changed at all.

"What are you doing now, Jack?" she asked, sipping from her drink. I wasn't what Jack had expected. She thought it would be pink and in a delicate, stemmed glass. Instead, she drank whiskey on the rocks, exactly like Jack.

Jack took a swig of her own drink, "Did Shepard tell you how she pulled me out of Grissom Academy?"

Miranda nodded, but didn't comment.

"Well, since then, I've been leading them in a support role. Ya know, keeping barriers strong for the soldiers, trying to keep as many of them alive for as long as possible. Its exhausting, but its worth it."

As she spoke, Shepard walked into the room. The Commander walked behind the bar and began mixing herself a drink.

Miranda's eyebrows shot up, "So … you're leading the Grissom Academy students?"

Jack's hackles rose, "Yeah. That a problem?"

"Just a surprise," Miranda answered, shrugging, "Your psyche profile suggested you were mainly interested in yourself."

Jack slapped a hand to the counter, causing Shepard to jump slightly. Miranda didn't react. "You're telling me I'm only interested in myself? Oh that's just fucking perfect."

When Miranda didn't respond, Jack went on, "Did it ever occur to you that I'm trying to grow as a goddamn person?"

Miranda leaned forward, putting her elbows on the bar. There was a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh, I could tell you were growing. I assumed it was," she waved vaguely at Jack's chest, "Whatever that is you're wearing."

Jack looked down at herself and realized with a start that Miranda was teasing her. More than that, she was teasing Jack about her tits.

"Oh, these?" she asked, cupping herself with both hands briefly, "Well, yeah, they were strapped down with a leather belt before. Its kind of stupid to show off your rack in the middle of a maximum security prison ship."

Miranda shrugged again, "I never had the pleasure."

Jack leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bar and her chin in her hand. They weren't exactly across from each other, but leaning on the bar, their faces were still very close. Close enough that Jack could see Miranda's nostrils flare and the slight wrinkle in her cheek, showing the hint of a smirk.

"You'd never survive," Jack said, then added, in a mockingly sweet voice, "You might break a nail."

Miranda stood up straight, folding her arms, "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Jack smiled, realizing she had Miranda on the ropes, "You're a spoiled, rich-girl cheerleader."

"Victim," Miranda countered.

Jack leaned forward slightly, "Test-tube clone princess."

Miranda also leaned forward, "I think its past your bedtime."

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" Jack asked, raising her eyebrows, "I didn't get to read your psych profile."

"Ladies," Shepard said suddenly, stepping forward, "I see we've all gotten enough to drink."

Jack smiled, "Relax Shepard. I'm not gonna smear the walls with her. This time."

"And I couldn't possibly think of anything worse to do to her than that haircut," Miranda said, smiling openly.

Jack, unable to help herself, jumped at the bait. "Hey, Cheerleader," she said, more harshly than she meant, "My hair and I have been fighting Brutes and Marauders on the front lines of this war. Meanwhile, you got your big, bubbly-butt kicked by some guy with a sword."

Miranda smirked at the comment and turned and looked at Shepard. "You see, Shepard?" she said, "Best of friends."

The Commander shrugged, "Honestly, I thought it might help if you too just kissed and got it over with."

Jack felt her jaw drop. Miranda's eyes widened. "What?" she asked in disbelief.

Shepard folded her arms, "I mean, this is all just sexual tension, right? Two powerful biotics, forceful personalities, confident in their sexuality…" she let the comment hang.

Jack finally found her voice, "You are shitting me."

"Oh my God," Miranda said, burying her face in her hands.

Light flashed briefly as Kasumi's cloak dropped. She smiled sweetly at the trio. "I'm ready to record," she said, "I'm pretty sure there's a market for this."

Jack looked at where the thief had been, but she was already gone. "Kasumi," Jack said through gritted teeth, "I will find you and I will hurt you badly," then, with resignation, said, "I need another drink," and reached for the bottle of whiskey.

Miranda pushed her cup forward, "One for me too. No ice."

After she poured the drinks, Jack realized that Shepard was still standing at the bar, watching them. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, Shepard," she said, "The cheerleader and I are just messing around."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "You sure? You two seemed pretty serious."

Jack shrugged one shoulder. "Nah. She fights better when she's pissed off," she said, smirking, "I'm just keeping her primed."

"Alright," Shepard said, "Just don't break anything."

Jack and Miranda both laughed, and Jack felt a surprising warmth at the thought of the two of them laughing together.

"If that's what you're worried about, Shepard," Miranda said, "You might want to find Zaeed and Garrus."

Shepard's eyes widened briefly before she said, "Excuse me," and almost ran out of the room.

As Jack watched the Commander leave the room, she couldn't help but laugh again. She turned to her drinking partner, a woman who, just a few months ago, she would have relished killing.

"What're those two crazy bastards up to?" she asked.

Miranda smiled, taking a dainty sip of her whiskey, and said, "I heard the two of them talking about booby trapping the entry way."

Jack held up her drink and stared at it, "Yeah, that sounds like them."

"How did you end up teaching at the Grissom academy?" Miranda asked suddenly.

The question caught Jack off guard, though she recovered quickly. "Alliance brass suggested it," she answered, "They figured with my unique abilities, I'd be able to help the students there."

Jack looked up to see Miranda staring quizzically at her. "What?" she asked.

Miranda leaned forward, seemingly genuinely interested in what Jack had to say. "Why did you accept? I mean, no offense, but that just doesn't seem like you."

Jack felt an unexpected wave of shame wash over her, "It was either that or go back to prison. I might have helped you and Shepard save the galaxy, but I was still a wanted pirate. Plus my association with Cerberus didn't do me any favors."

Miranda took a long pull from her whiskey, then set the glass down. "I can understand that," she said, "The Illusive Man wasn't the only reason I went underground after Shepard turned over the Normandy. If the Alliance had caught up with me, I imagine I'd be living in a very dark hole right now."

Jack raised her glass and said, "To escaping the dark holes."

"I'll drink to that," Miranda said, raising her glass. The two women each took a long pull from their drinks.

Jack smacked her lip appreciatively as Miranda daintily dabbed at her lips with a bar napkin. After a moment of silence, Miranda leaned back against the wall behind her.

"Seriously," she began, "Why join up? We both know you could break out of any hole the Alliance could have thrown you in."

Jack thought about that for a second. Finally, she came up with the only answer she could think of.

"Shepard," she said, "Shepard was the only one who ever gave a damn about me. Toward the end, I started to shut her out. There was real chance that we weren't coming back after going through the Omega Four relay. I'm still amazed nobody died. Anyway, I didn't want to be close to anybody. I didn't want to miss anybody if they didn't come back. But Shepard still tried. She did everything except try to fuck me."

Miranda laughed and Jack went on, "When Shepard told us that she was turning over the Normandy, at first I panicked. What the hell was I going to do. I'd be on the run again. But she sat me down in her quarters, like she did with everyone, and asked me what I wanted to do. I had no idea. I knew I didn't want to leave, but I also knew that the Alliance would lock me up and throw away the key."

"Shepard convinced you to stay," Miranda said knowingly.

Jack shook her head, "No. She asked me where I wanted to be dropped off. But, looking at her face, the face of the only person who'd given a damn about me in I don't know how many years, I couldn't leave. So I was on the Normandy when she brought it to Earth. Shepard had apparently already told the alliance who I was, but they didn't show up with guns bared like I thought they would. I was separated from Shepard almost immediately. I got interviewed by scientists, psychologists, and military types. After all that, a guy named Anderson suggested I try my hand at teaching."

"How did that work out?" Miranda asked, gesturing with her glass.

Jack smiled as fond memories passed through her mind, then she saw a bad one that made her shiver. She said, "This one bad drop on Palaven, I had to pull this girl, Rodriguez, out from underneath a pile of husks. If I hadn't recognized her ugly fucking boot, I'd never have seen her. She'd have died under there. That really freaked me out. I was really afraid of losing her."

She looked up to Miranda's face to see understanding there.

"You love them," she said, knowingly, "But you hate that, because if you lose any of them, it'll hurt, really hurt. You're not sure if you can handle that."

Jack felt the tears spring to her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "How do you know that?" she asked.

"My sister," Miranda said, "I would give up everything, including my life, for her. Anything less, and I've failed."

Jack nodded, seeing for the first time some kinship with a woman she had hated since their first meeting.

Miranda suddenly smiled mischievously, "Alright Jack. I hate to say it, but Cerberus was wrong about you."

Jack felt footsteps behind her, but guessing at who it was, didn't turn. "No shit," she said.

Miranda gestured as Shepard came around the bar, making herself a drink, and Miranda continued, "You're still violent and maladjusted, but the Illusive Man never would've predicted you'd bond with the Grissom Academy students. You're growing, despite everything Cerberus did to you. I find that," she paused, taking a breath, "Extremely admirable."

Jack, taken aback by the sentiment, simply said, "Wow. Thanks."

She recovered quickly, giving a rather pervy Shepard something to think about, "I still really hate you, but you have fantastic tits."

Miranda laughed out loud, "Alright, I can live with that."

Shepard, drink in hand, shook her head as she walked out of the room. As she turned the corner, they both laughed.

"Did you mean that?" Jack asked.

Miranda nodded behind her drink, "Of course. You?"

Jack took a sip to hide her own smile. "Only part of it," she said.

* * *

Miranda stood on the balcony that overlooked the massive living room and bar area. With her were Liara T'Soni, James Vega, Ashley Williams, and Jacob Taylor. Liara and James continued to argue about biotics.

Liara said, "I could easily lift with my boitics."

"Could not," James said.

"Could too," Liara said back, almost petulantly.

Miranda rolled her eyes and looked at James. "You've seen biotics in action," she said.

Liara shot her a grateful look. Folding her arms, she said, "I could float you off this balcony without breaking a sweat."

James smirked, folding his arms as well, saying, "Oh I know you _could_ , but do you have the cajones to actually do it? Any of you?"

The motion caused his already tight shirt to stretch across his large pecks, showing them off to great effect. Miranda was sure the move had to be practiced. It was the only way to explain how good it made him look. She wasn't the only one who noticed, either. Looking at Ashley, she saw her flush, biting the corner of her lip. When she saw Miranda looking at her, she flushed brighter and studied her drink.

Jacob, not being remotely in interested in Vegas' pecks, laughed at his challenge, "What a guy. Buckle up, Brotha'."

Ashley shook her head, looking up from her drink. "James, Seriously?" she asked.

Before anyone else could object, Liara held out her left hand, forming a biotic field around James and lifting him a few feet off the ground, just as Shepard made her way to the group from the stairs.

"Shepard," Liara said affectionately.

The commander briefly took in the scene and asked, "What's up?"

Miranda smiled, "Just demonstrating a little biotic supremacy."

Shepard folded her arms, leaning against the wall next to Liara, asking, "You okay, James?"

"Yeah," James said, laughing, "This is trippy! I'm kinda buzzing all over."

"Exactly," Jacob responded, "Nice, right? I can feel that way on a whim."

Liara spoke up, "Do you find it … _relaxing_?"

Her voice was husky, almost ethereal. It reminded Miranda of the way Samara spoke.

"Uh, kinda," he said. Then he looked down, "Among other things."

It was then that Miranda noticed his obviously growing manhood under his pants. Unable to help herself, she said, "Looks good on you."

"I'm glad you lost that bet, James," Ashley said. She looked at Liara, "When's my turn?"

Shepard stood up. "Careful," she said, "I need my full crew back when the night's over."

"Okay," James said, looking a little flushed, "You've had your fun. Put me down now."

Liara released the field, and James dropped to his feet. Before anyone could say anything, Liara practically shouted, "Lets dance!"

The Asari immediately began moving to the music, pulling Shepard to her. Miranda looked over to see Jacob touching the sound system control on the wall, turning up the music. Ashley had started swaying her hips to the music. James danced as well, though he kept glancing at Ashley out of the corner of his eye. _So, there might be a little spark there_ , she thought.

Deciding to help the situation along. Miranda moved behind Ashley, pressing against her back and swaying her own hips to the rhythm of the music. As she put her hands on the other's hips, she began to guide their movements into wider swings, following the downbeat of the music.

"Uh," Ashley said, "What are you doing?"

Miranda grabbed the empty cup out of Ashley's hand and used the motion to turn her around so they were face to face. Ashley's arms fell naturally on Miranda's shoulders, and she let the cup gently fall in a biotic field. Her hands free, she put them on Ashley's hips, pulling them to her own. She had the brief thought that she'd rather be doing this with Jack. _Where did that come from?_ She thought.

Their faces very close, she said, "James is into you, I'm just helping things along." She saw the look of surprise on Ashley's face, but continued, "In a second, I'm going to bump you with my hips. Act like I did it too hard and stumble over to him. He'll catch you. The rest is up to you."

Ashley's hands, perhaps put of reflex, trailed down Miranda's back and onto her butt. She wondered if Jack would put do the same if they were dancing together. The combination of that thought and the contact raised goosebumps on her skin. Fortunately, her suit covered most of her body, so they didn't show.

Ashley leaned in, putting her mouth next to Miranda's ear, and whispered, "He'll see right through that."

Miranda grabbed one of Ashley's hands and turned in her embrace so they were back to front again, though in reverse order. She grabbed her dance partner's hands and placed them on the front of her own thighs, placing her own hands over them. She leaned her head back on the other's shoulder so that she could whisper and still be heard.

"First, you're giving him too much credit," Miranda said, "And second, even if he does, it won't matter. He can't take his eyes off you. Just trust me."

Miranda bent at the waist, putting herself perpendicular to Ashley. Suddenly, she bent her knees, then straightened them, shoving her rear end into Ashley. The woman played it perfectly, stumbling directly into James' arms. He reacted exactly as she had predicted, catching her in his perfectly sculpted arms. Even after she regained her feet, the marine didn't let her go. As they begin to exchange words no one else could hear, Miranda looked over to see Shepard smirking in her direction. She had caught the whole thing.

Smirking at Miranda, Shepard turned to face Liara. She whispered a few words before they shared a quick kiss, and Shepard left the balcony. Liara made her way to Miranda. The Asari put her arms around her neck, creating an embrace that made the two move in unison.

"She wanted me to tell you that was pretty clever," she said.

Miranda, the picture of innocence, asked, "What was clever."

Liara smiled, pushing Miranda away lightly, breaking the embrace, but not creating any distance. "Just dance with me," she said.

Miranda did so, letting the music take her. She danced with Liara, though not as scandalously as she had with Ashley. She brought Jacob into their group, dancing in a trio of friends that made her feel quite content.

Soon, Ashley and James made their way away from the impromptu dance floor. As they passed, Miranda, on a whim, reached out an smacked James' butt. When he looked up in surprise, she said, "Have fun, you two."


	2. Chapter 2

Jack knelt on the dining room table, moving her upper body to the music, tossing her head and feeling free for the first time in months. Others danced around her. Garrus Vakarian, Steve Cortez, Tali'Zorah  
vas Normandy, Samara, and the extremely cute Samantha Traynor all danced around the dining room. She didn't know all of these people well, but they were all trusted by Shepard, therefore cool in Jack's book.

"WOOHOO!" Traynor screamed, dancing with the fervor of someone who didn't have a care in the world.

Cortez, moving with more grace than any male had a right to, said, "You should bring those moves out more often, Traynor!"

Traynor, clearly caught up in her dancing, answered, "You and I dancing at the same time? Too dangerous. We'd light the room on fire!"

Samara said in a quiet voice that somehow carried over the music, "This is unexpected, and fun."

Garrus danced in the circle next to Samara, "I'm always amazed humans can dance, with the way your legs bend."

Traynor, without stopping, asked, "The way our legs bend?"

"Yes," Tali said, switching places with the Justicar in the circle, putting herself next to Garrus, "You and the Asari. I'm surprised you don't tip over!"

Jack felt herself smiling, in spite of the insult. "I don't tip over until I've found company, Dog-legs," she said, "'Til then, watch and learn!"

Just then, she spotted Shepard. The woman was standing by the island in the kitchen, watching the group. "Come on, Shepard," she said, "Show us your moves!"

The commander shook her head, but the others had seen her as well and began a chorus of "Come on" and "Get over here". Apparently unable to resist the call of her friends, Shepard walked into the middle of the circle.

"Hell yeah!" Jack said.

Tali called, "Ha! Go for it!"

Shepard started dancing.

Everyone laughed. Shepard's dancing skills (or lack there of) were the stuff of legend. Everyone had, at some point, seen Shepard's lack of coordination on the dance floor. It actually made Jack feel better about the leader of their little motley crew. The woman was almost super human. Not a biotic, she had been raised in the Alliance Navy. She had single handedly held off the Batarian invaders during the Skyllian Blitz. The woman had become the first human Spectre, and eventually, humanity's, and the Galaxy's, last hope for survival. Her negotiation skills rivaled an Asari Matriarch diplomat. Her combat skills surpassed the most experienced Krogan Battle Masters. She had even come back from the dead.

But she couldn't dance. If the fate of the galaxy had been decided by a dance off, Shepard would have been the single least qualified individual to handle it. Her moves were sloppy and uncoordinated. Jack had never understood that. The woman fought with unrivaled grace, a grace which she had assumed would transfer to the dance floor. But no. Watching her dance was almost painful.

 _And that's why she's perfect_ , Jack thought, _Because she's not_. She didn't dwell on the thought, and instead enjoyed the clumsy, unattractive, endearing dancing of the woman before her.

Cortez was the first to comment, "Hah! Captain on deck!"

Traynor, who Jack happened to know had an incurable crush on Shepard, asked, "Has she always been like this?"

Tali, whose movements were almost hypnotic, said, "You learn to love it."

"It's," Traynor paused, seeming to try to find an unoffensive description, "Very enthusiastic."

"It is impressive." Samara said without a hint of sarcasm.

"We should record this and broadcast it for the Reapers," Garrus said, "They'll either run away, melt down, or fall in love."

Jack laughed, thinking of the Reapers letting go of that machine scream they had, then turning tail and running. "Good to see some things don't change," she said.

"Well I like it Commander," Cortez said, "It's good to see you cut loose now and then."

"Thank you all for your loyalty and support," Shepard said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. That, of course, sent the group into another round of laughter.

They all danced together for a while, enjoying the music. Eventually, Shepard excused herself to check on other guests. The group continued moving to the music and just generally enjoying each other's company. Jack lost herself in the rhythms and base thump of the music playing over the sound system of the admittedly awesome apartment. She only wished Miranda were here.

 _What the hell_ , she thought, _where did that come from? Why do I want the Cerberus-cheer-leading bitch here?_ After a moment of thought, she decided that it must be down to there conversation earlier. She still didn't like Miranda, but she had admitted Cerberus was wrong. She had admitted Jack was growing. That proved that Miranda herself was growing, and that was attractive.

When she became aware of her surroundings between two songs, she realized there was a a conversation going on around her.

"…the carbon nanotubes of the Silaris armor are amazing," Tali was saying, "With such a low atomic weight, and being such a readily available element, it's powerful and relatively cheap to make."

"How do you know what the atomic weight of carbon is?" Cortez asked.

Tali, still dancing, said, "I memorized them all as a kid."

Cortez's jaw dropped, "Really, you have them all memorized?"

"Sixty-seven," Tali said, "Holmium. Very reactive. Very magnetic." She bumped Garrus with her hip as she danced.

Garrus, seeming not to notice the Quarian's obvious advances, said "Turian parties almost never end with someone reciting the elements."

Traynor, apparently having gotten into the game, said, "Sixty-eight, Erbium. Atomic weight, One-sixty-seven and change."

"Nice!" Tali said enthusiastically, "My turn, Sixty-nine…"

Unable to help herself, Jack laughed and interrupted, "In your dreams!"

Jack couldn't see Tali's expression, but the one she imagined was priceless. The Quarian said, "What? I don't get it."

Traynor, laughing herself, said, "I'll explain it later."

Jack laughed again. She couldn't help it. The lesbian explaining a sex position to a female alien. Jack would give almost anything to be there for that conversation.

"It's Thulium, in case anyone cared," Garrus said, "Turians have trace amounts in our skin. Protects us from solar radiation."

Tali bumped him with her hip again and yelled, "Neeeeerd!"

Jack laughed and fell back into her rhythm, enjoying the thumping of the base. It vibrated her chest, drawing her mind into a dream like state where there was no Reapers, no war, just the dance, the party, and Miranda.

Jack's eyes popped open in surprise, not entirely sure what had caused the thought of Miranda to come to the fore. Before she could consider what that meant, the music was quieted and Shepard was calling everyone to the living room.

"Lets get a photo to remember this," she said, "Arrange yourselves on the sofa."

That thought made Jack smirk. There was no way they would all fit. Shepard sat herself right in the middle of the sofa as everyone gathered around. Liara, of course, sat herself right next to the commander. Traynor sat herself on the other side of Liara. Jack stood just behind the couch, and found herself disappointed that Tali stood between her an Miranda. Glyph, Liara's drone, called everyone's attention to him as he took the picture.

It appeared on the screen behind him, and Jack had to fight down tears as she looked at all them together. Everyone seemed so happy. Despite the war, despite the danger, despite everything that had happened in the last few years, in this moment, preserved forever, they were happy.

* * *

Miranda lay in one of the upstairs bedrooms. She had stripped out of her jumpsuit and had taken advantage of the shower in the attached bathroom, though she hadn't washed her hair, not wanting to wait for it to dry. Now, she lay in her panties. She didn't like being so vulnerable, but as she hadn't anything else to sleep in, there was no help for it.

She thought again about all of the events of the night. She smiled briefly at the thought of James and Ashley off shagging somewhere. She felt the slightest hint of jealousy. If only for tonight, they would have each other. For some reason, she thought of Jack, and wondered if she'd found a bed to fall into.

A knock sounded at the open doorway. Almost as if summoned by her own thoughts, Jack leaned against the wall there, her fist level with her head where she had knocked. Her other hand was held suspiciously behind her back. Miranda reflexively pulled the covers to her chest, then cursed herself for doing so.

Jack smirked, then moved over to the bed. "You mind?" she asked, "There's nowhere else to crash."

"Really?" Miranda asked incredulously.

"EDI, Joker, and Traynor are taking the couches in the living room," She said, "Grunt is passed out on the bed in the downstairs bedroom, and Wrex is sleeping on the floor like some kind of oversized guard dog. Tali and Garrus are watching that stupid vid in the the bar area."

"'Fleet and Flotilla'?" Miranda asked.

Jack nodded, "That stuff is so fucking sappy. Anyway, Vega and Williams are on the upstairs couch, just about to get to the good part. And Shepard and Liara are in the other bedroom already at the good part."

"What about Jacob?" Miranda asked. She was legitimately worried for him. He was married with a baby on the way. She knew he needed rest.

"Hear the music?" Jack asked. When Miranda nodded, she said, "That's Jacob. He's playing for Samara."

Miranda's jaw dropped. "He never told me he could play," she said, a little indignant.

"It's pretty good," Jack said, "Zaeed is standing on the balcony like some kind of prison guard. Honestly, it's creepy."

Miranda laughed, "That's his training. Someone has to be on watch." Then after going over the people in the apartment, asked, "Wait, where's Kasumi?"

"Who the fuck knows," Jack answered. Then, after a brief moment of silence, she asked, "Well, can I stay here?"

"That depends on what's behind your back," Miranda answered. Jack smiled and revealed the bottle of whiskey she had been hiding.

Miranda immediately threw back the covers on the unoccupied side of the bed. Jack laughed and sat down. She handed the bottle over to Miranda, who tore through the seal and pulled the cap off. She took a long swing, savoring the burn as she swallowed.

"Wow," she said, "That is incredibly smooth."

Jack smiled. "Should be," she said, "That's the good stuff."

Miranda pulled back the bottle and looked at the label. It was an incredibly rare vintage of whiskey, even rarer now that the distillery, located on Earth, was likely destroyed. She felt a wave of guilt for enjoying what would likely be considered a delicacy a few years from now, especially when so many others were suffering and dying at the hands of the Reapers.

Deciding over thinking was not a path she wanted to follow right now, she took another long pull.

"Hey," Jack said in surprise, "Save some for me, Drunky."

"Sorry," Miranda said, handing over the bottle, "It takes a lot for me to get drunk. Enhanced genetics."

Jack raised an eyebrow as she took a long swallow from the bottle herself. "Your super-test-tube-clone genes make it hard to get drunk?" she asked.

"Yes," she said, taking the offered bottle back from Jack, "My liver is super effective at eliminating poisons from my body. I can get drunk, but it takes so much that things like beer and wine are almost a waste of time."

"That sucks," Jack said, "My biotics keep me from getting a hangover, but I still get drunk like anyone else."

"I've never heard of biotics doing that," Miranda said in disbelief.

Jack shrugged and took the bottle back and took another long swig. Miranda noticed that between them, they'd gone through half the bottle. She was starting to feel the drunk at the edges of her senses. It felt good. The entire night, she'd been reserved about her drinking, not wanting to act improperly. But now, with just Jack for company, she didn't care.

Jack handed her back the bottle and bent to unstrap her boots. Once they were off, she pulled off the half jacket and tossed it on the floor. She stood, and from the motion of her arms, Miranda guessed that she was unbuckling the belt on her pants.

Miranda sipped the whiskey again, savoring the flavor. Belatedly, she thought to ask, "Where did you find this?"

"It was buried in the liquor cabinet behind some gin and brandy," Jack said without turning.

"You naughty little thief!" Miranda said in surprise.

Jack turned around, her pants undone but still around her hips. Without her jacket, Miranda could see that Jack only wore a piece of gauzy material wrapped around her torso. The thought that she was about to see Jack very nearly naked sent shivers of excitement through her.

Jack took the bottle from Miranda and took a long drink. She handed the bottle back to Miranda and said, "I'm gonna use the shower." Miranda had to fight not let go of a disappointed sigh. Jack moved to the bathroom attached to the bedroom.

As she took another drink of the whiskey, now two-thirds gone, she heard the shower turn on. The sound of the water made her realize that she had to pee. She debated what to do for a moment before deciding that if Jack wanted to share her bed, she could handle being in the shower while Miranda used the toilet.

She got out of bed. As she stood, her bladder suddenly went into overdrive. She moved into the bathroom. Jack's clothes were piled haphazardly in the corner. The glass of the shower was already fogged to the point of being opaque. As quietly as she could, she sat on the toilet, and released. She spent a few blissful seconds emptying her bladder, then Jack wiped on the glass of the shower door. Miranda looked up to see that she had wiped away enough of the condensation to show her face and shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked, amusement in her voice.

"This is your fault," Miranda countered, "You're the one who brought the whiskey."

Jack laughed and went back to washing her hair. Miranda took advantage of the distraction to wipe herself and pull her panties up. She washed her hands and left the bathroom to sprawl once more on the bed.

A bit later, Jack came out of the bathroom. She was completely naked, save for a towel she was using to dry her hair. Miranda's jaw dropped. She had been expecting Jack to at least put a towel over herself, but here she stood, totally bare. Her dark tattoos stood out against her pale skin. The lines traced the contours of her body, accentuating the curves of her figure to great effect.

Seemingly oblivious to Miranda's stare, Jack moved to _her_ side of the bed, the side Miranda didn't currently occupy. She tossed the towel on the floor before falling into bed. She was so casual. Miranda hadn't been totally naked in front of anyone since Jacob. She preferred her privacy. By all accounts, Jack did as well, but her concerns were more for her safety than her modesty. That thought bothered her, and she decided to ask the question before her nerves got the better of her.

She turned onto her side, facing Jack. "Do you feel safe here?" she asked.

Jack shrugged, "No bullshit?"

"No bullshit," Miranda said firmly.

"I never feel safe," Jack answered, staring at the ceiling, "There's always something out to kill me. Pirates, Cerberus, the Reapers. I'm doing everything I can to fight them, the Reapers, I mean. But if they suddenly decide to attack the Citadel, there's nothing I can do."

"That's a scary thought," Miranda muttered.

Jack shrugged again, "I think it's kind of liberating. There's nothing I can do, so there's nothing to worry about. If it happens, it happens. I just have to go on and do my best to protect myself and my friends."

"Would you protect me?" Miranda heard herself ask. The words just slipped out, and she instantly wanted to take them back.

Jack turned on her side to face Miranda. "I totally have," she said, "On the Omega 4 Relay mission, I held up the barrier with you, Shepard, and Grunt."

"Doesn't count," Miranda said, smiling, "You were holding that barrier for Shepard."

Jack laughed, "Okay, fair enough. But I would. Ever since you did it for me."

When Miranda gave her a questioning look, Jack asked, "Do you remember Daratar?"

Miranda thought about it and the memory came to her. Aria T'Loak had given Commander Shepard a tip about a hidden Eclipse stash. Gearing up for their mission to take on the Collectors on the other side of the Omega 4 Relay, Shepard had decided it was an easy score for gathering resources. What no one had counted on was three YMIR mechs programmed to destroy the cargo. It had been a tough fight.

"You threw up a barrier between me and a rocket," Jack said as the images flashed through Miranda's mind, "The mech turned on you, but you didn't drop the barrier around me."

"You destroyed that mech before it could hurt me," Miranda said.

Jack shook her head, "You couldn't have known that I would. As far as you knew, at that moment, I still hated you. I could have let you take the bullet."

"Why didn't you?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know," Jack said, a tear falling to the pillow, "That's the most fucked up part of the whole thing. I thought I hated you, but when you were in danger, I couldn't hold back. I had to help. And if I hadn't…"

Miranda reached out and wiped away a tear that had been threatening to fall from Jack's face. Jack smiled briefly, then suddenly rolled over. The motion put her on top of Miranda. Before she could react, Jack had Miranda's hands pinned to the pillow above her head.

"What are you doing?" Miranda asked, feeling slightly breathless.

"Oh, come on," Jack said, "I saw the way you looked at me when I got out of the shower. I know where tonight's been leading. Besides, you saw me cry. I can't have that without a bit of payback."

With that, Jack bent and bit Miranda's neck. The sensation caused her to gasp.

* * *

Several hours later, Jack and Miranda both lay in the bed, sweaty, sore, and satisfied.

Miranda traced her fingers along Jack's back. "These are really quite beautiful," she said.

She could almost hear the eye roll has Jack responded, "Don't tell me you're going to get all mushy on me now."

"Since when is admiring artwork getting mushy?" she asked.

Jack rolled over, facing Miranda. "Oh please," she said, "We have one good fuck, and suddenly you're all about my tattoos."

"I've always admired your tattoos," Miranda said, almost defensively, "They tell a story to those who know how to read them. I've always wanted to learn to read your tattoos, but I was never in a position where I could. When we were on the Normandy together, I had a part to play." She traced a finger down the Jack's upper arm, passing over the faces tattooed there. "The story isn't always nice, but it's always completely honest. I think that's what I admire most about you Jack. You're always yourself, one hundred percent of the time. I could never really do that."

"Bullshit," Jack said in a skeptical tone, "You've always been totally straightforward with me. Always the Cerberus cheerleader bitch."

Miranda felt, rather than heard herself laugh, "As long as you've known me, that's really what you think I am? Just the Cerberus cheerleader?"

"Well, yeah," Jack answered, "I mean, not now. But when we were on the Normandy, you were all about 'Cerberus is humanity's last hope'." Miranda smirked at Jack's attempt to mimic her accent, "That was the only thing I ever heard from you. You know what Cerberus did to me was wrong, but you tried to say it wasn't really Cerberus."

Miranda let go of a sigh, "Is that all you know about me?"

"I know you love your sister," Jack said more softly

"She's everything to me," Miranda said, "and if it hadn't been for Shepard..." she let the sentence trail off

"That was the first time Shepard saved my life," she said after a moment, "And, of course, there's Horizon."

"She's saved you, what, twice now?" Jack asked, "Not counting her saving the galaxy. It's actually been three times for me."

"Three times?" Miranda asked, "How do you figure?"

"First getting me out of the supermax prison," she said.

"Doesn't count," Miranda said, "The Illusive Man is the one who gave Shepherd the dossier on you."

"Two," Jack said as if Miranda hadn't spoken, "Helping me destroy the facility where I was held as a child. And three, pulling my ass out of the fire at the Grissom Academy."

Miranda smiled despite herself. "It seems like we both a Shepard a lot," she said. Then she rolled onto her back and said, "If only Shepard weren't a woman."

Jack laughed, "You do know what we did like two minutes ago right?"

"This is different," Miranda said rising, "And you know it. I'm going to get some water. Do you want some?"

"Yeah," Jack said, "I'm a little dehydrated."

Miranda didn't bother with clothes as she figured everyone else would be asleep. A small part of her brain registered what weird choice that was.

As she reached the door she heard Jack. "Hey," she said from the bed, "This was... a lot of fun. I just wanted you to know that."

"For me too," Miranda answered.

* * *

A/N: This story was in limbo for a long time. I've been building this scenario for longer than I care to admit, because if these characters were to ever hook up, circumstances had to be absolutely perfect. I wanted something between romance and smut, but not straying to far into either. Did I succeed? I leave that for you to decide.


End file.
